Should Sponsors ask to be recognized?

[Marc P.]

Great spin-off thread Steve! I guess the real question here is within the bounds of Gracious Professionalism, what are teams willing to do for a donation or funding, and if I understand Collmandoman's posts, whether it's right for a business to ask for something in return for a donation.

It's a widely known and accepted fact that money is a requirement to operate a FIRST team. There's the $6,000 registration fee, $4,000 for additional regionals, and $5,000 for registration in Atlanta. Add in the cost of materials for the robot, any costs for facilities, and any money spent on team travel, and we're talking about a rather substantial amount of money to be raised. FIRST is an incredible program. I don't think I'm to far out on a limb when I say I'd be willing to do virtually anything to see this program continue inspiring people about the wonders and potentials of science and technology. Since money is the main ingredient to getting a team registered, I'd say within the bounds of law, any method of obtaining money is worthwhile to help FIRST continue to grow. If that means printing out a company logo to stick on a robot, or adding the name to a team's banner to be hung up at regionals, does it really make a difference with regard to how much the team members learn and grow? If the company nets an extra $12k a year because of all the exposure at regionals, it would only make good business sense to continue donating money to the team, because they make a return on investment. The company benefits, therefore increasing the chances of continued or expanded funding. The team benefits, because without money they wouldn't exist. The students and mentors benefit, because they can work on building relationships and robots while become inspired by attending competitions. Ultimately, everyone wins, so I really don't see how it's unprofessional to ask for something reasonable in return when making a donation.